Back when I wrote about mixing my wife’s pesto with gin, the Internet didn’t offer up any suggestions of what do with the pesto. Shortly afterward, however, I ran across this video of a Gin Basil Smash, which provided an idea of what to do the next time I have some fresh basil.
I was reminded of this today when I saw someone had come calling after looking for “gin and pesto,” and, more amusingly, saw that my post was the first result in Google for that search, while a few below was Jörg Meyer’s original description of his Gin Basil Smash, which he called Gin Pesto. I can’t read the German, but Google Translate helps — some. One can watch Jörg Meyer make it, if you’d like, in this nice video by Jay Hepburn.
(And, since it’s just a shame that a borrowed item is the top search result for Gin Basil Smash, here’s a link to the Mixology magazine article that was — how shall we say? — borrowed: Gin Basil Smash.)
I have some basil. Perhaps tomorrow I’ll see what this is made of.
The Gin Basil Smash is most definitely good stuff.
I don’t have any simple syrup, so used a 1:1 solution of agave syrup and water.